Monthly Archives : January 2017

A calendar year can take a toll on an office.

Just think about the walk from your desk to the break room. The floor has new stains, cubicles are marked with dents and scrapes. Fabric dividers start to fray at the edges. Chairs squeak a little more and the fluorescent glow of recessed lighting just seems a little more yellow.

There are ways to combat this inevitable decline. We learned this over the past year by studying trends in office design and equipment, employee perks, dress codes and other areas of office life. During the next few months we’re going share what we’ve learned with ideas for sprucing up your office as we head into 2017.

It’s Time to Upgrade Your Office Chair

Over the past few years, we’ve read a ton of information about office chairs. Some of that research has been history based, while other bouts of fact-finding focused on the ever-timeless Herman Miller line of chairs.

Simply put, what you’re sitting in at work matters; it matters to your back and to the rest of your body. If your spine is aching or your wrists and hands are sore, you aren’t going to perform at the highest possible level.

If you’re going to splurge on a gift for yourself or work with your procurement department to upgrade, we suggest the Herman Miller SAYL. While it’s not at the level of Herman Miller’s legendary Aeron, the chair is a fantastic buy for someone looking for solid support, style and a reliable brand name.

We talked about the SAYL this past year, noting that one furniture site said the chair is better suited for the conference room than it is for the desk. However, between then and now, the SAYL has become somewhat of a unicorn in the tech world.

Not only that, but the chair made several appearances in the Hunger Games series and was a regular at the Hooli offices in HBO’s Silicon Valley, Business Insider contributor Melia Robinson wrote.

The sticker price on the SAYL is around $530 and the chair is worth every dime.

Kiss that Keyboard Goodbye

Anyone who’s worked in a traditional office has probably laid their hands on a standard issue HP or Dell keyboard with sky-high keys and that familiar muted thump-thump-thump.

In this new year, make the switch to a chiclet keyboard. These low-profile keys allow you to type quicker by using less pressure to push down each individual key.

One of the most popular (and affordable) chiclet keyboards at Best Buy is the HP K3500. It has the full keyboard with number pad and is wireless. For $29.99, you’ll have a hard time finding a better value.

Bid Farewell to That Ailing Mouse

Owning a mouse that isn’t quite perfect is like driving a car with a squeaky serpentine belt. Most of the time it works fine, but once it starts acting up, the annoyance is nearly unbearable.

In some cases, a mouse that doesn’t track or a scroll wheel that doesn’t spin is a matter of a quick clean. But, if you’ve given the old chap a good run and he’s near the end of his electronic life, it makes no sense to hobble into the new year with him.

Unlike a new office chair, a quality mouse will cost you less than $50. In fact, we found a pair of mice you can use for the office and travel than will cost you less than $40.

The Logitech M320 has been likened to the Honda Accord of the mouse world. It’s reliable, lasts a long time and comes from a reputable company.

The M320 has a two-button setup with a scroll wheel. It’s simple, but not shoddy; it was a PC Mag Editor’s Choice.

If you travel often for work, then consider the  Microsoft Bluetooth Mobile Mouse 3600. This workhorse is small enough to fit in your pocket but provides the hand support you need when you’re clicking through reports for hours on a cross-country flight.

It’s one thing to pick an outfit for an interview, but it’s an entirely different task to keep your wardrobe updated and fresh.

But let’s be honest – we don’t all have the time or the money to head to our favorite department store every month to reload our stash of ties, jewelry, pants, blouses, shoes and shirts. In years past, a lack of online options meant that you had to spend a few hours every month finding clothes and accessories to keep things fresh.

Nowadays, you have a wide selection of online retailers from which to choose the clothes that best fit your style and your workplace dress code.

We’re going to review a few of those websites, included subscription services that send you monthly combinations of accessories.

For the Gentlemen: SprezzaBox

SprezzaBox offers two different subscription prices: $25 a month if you pay a year’s worth of deliveries up front ($300), or $28 a month.

Their service delivers one box a month that has 5-7 items like ties, pocket squares, tie tacks and grooming products. You’ll also occasionally get items like sunglasses and watches, as well as lifestyle products like wine stoppers and corkscrews.

You won’t know what’s in your box until it arrives, but Sprezza’s stylists assure you that their hand-selected items are as stylish as they are affordable.

In terms of value, several of the company’s most recent boxes were priced at more than $100 when each individual item was valued. In that sense, these boxes offer great value.

Here’s an example of the contents of a recent box called “The Chelsea”:

• Tie
• Pocket Square
• Socks
• Coasters
• Wine Pourer & Stopper
• Corkscrew

According to Sprezza, the box was worth $112.

As you can see, Sprezza’s boxes offer a wide variety of items, but not all of them are fashion related. However, the fashion items they do feature tend to be stylish and current, which are two things you want out of your wardrobe.

Here’s what subscription review site A Year of Boxes wrote about Sprezza:

“What can I tell you about SprezzaBox that I haven’t already told you? This subscription box is definitely on my ‘favorites’ list, and I don’t see that changing anytime soon. I’ve seen men’s subscription boxes come and go, but this one has consistently delivered great boxes since they opened their doors, and I don’t see them going anywhere anytime soon.”

For the Ladies: RocksBox

RocksBox is a jewelry-only subscription service whose unique feature is that recipients “borrow” the jewelry for $19 a month. If you like your jewelry and want to keep it, you can purchase the piece at the RocksBox price. If you’re ready for a new set of jewelry, you can send all your items back and receive fresh pieces.

One of the things that really stands out about this subscription service is the personalization that comes with every box. The type of pieces you receive are based on a style quiz you take when you sign up. From there, RocksBox stylists put your box together and add a personalized note.

Style website Nylon said RocksBox is their favorite subscription service, calling the competition a “no contest.”

“RocksBox won our hearts with no contest,” Nylon wrote. “Not only does the service let you try before you buy, everything down to the packaging and personalized insert card was smartly put together, fresh and trendy.”

Final Thoughts on Workplace Dress Codes, Instruments and More

We hope that our series on workplace dress codes and tips helped you get a better understanding of how to approach your work wardrobe and, for employers, how to create a dress code that communicates your company’s own brand of professionalism.

If there’s one thing we’ve learned through our research, it’s that from an employee’s perspective the way you dress shouldn’t be an afterthought. Your wardrobe can strengthen your standing as a reliable, organized employee, or it can reinforce others’ views about your lack of organization and attention to detail.

While we’ve spent a good bit of time talking clothes and accessories, don’t forget that your office serves the same purpose as your wardrobe. You want something comfortable, well made and representative of who you are as a company.

You also want individual spaces where employees can have a sense of privacy and identity. Stop by the OBEX Product page to browse our latest products, all of which can be easily installed onto your existing desk layout.